When Marissa Sheva lashed a left-footed strike into the top corner during the home leg of the Republic of Ireland's Nations League play-off against Belgium, she celebrated with her team-mates, as she should.
The win at Aviva Stadium in October and the subsequent promotion to League A despite a 2-1 loss in Leuven indicated a change of fortune for a side that was heartbroken almost a year ago when they missed out on a Euro 2025 spot.
The changes since have been seismic, but Sheva said things are starting to click in Carla Ward's camp. Add her confidence boost from regular minutes at Sunderland and it could be a recipe for success come the World Cup qualifiers next year.
"I've been feeling like something has clicked under this new staff. I know that they trust me and they appreciate what I can bring to the game. So I think that gives me a lot of confidence on top of, you know, getting regular minutes back at club," Sheva told RTÉ Sport.
Republic of Ireland 4-1 Belgium
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 24, 2025
Turning into a wonderful night for Carla Ward's side as Marissa Sheva rattles home the fourth to the roof of the net
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Ireland's draw for those qualifiers, confirmed on 4 November, was one Sheva watched live and she said that the confidence gained from the last international window left her feeling no outcome was daunting.
"I would have been happy in any of the, in any of the groups.
"It's all tough teams. I think that there's opportunity to take points from any of the teams. So I don't want to say too much, but I do feel good about it. And I think that this last camp has all of us feeling really good."
Irish football is currently riding a wave of success, rising tides and all that.
The 28-year-old, like everyone else, was watching along when Troy Parrott hit that fantastic hat-trick and detailed that the excitement around both teams aiming for a world cup is "exciting".
"Just the men... watching them in this past international break was so exciting. And I think that just having a buzz about both teams... It helped both of us.
"It's exciting to kind of be shooting for the same goals and both be having success right now."
The American-born midfielder joined WSL 2 team Sunderland in March this year.
It hasn't all been plain sailing, her club side currently sit tenth in the league.
The weather has been another sore point but she is embracing playing in what she described as a "gritty league".
"Sunderland's been great. I definitely feel settled. I feel like I've gotten my first taste of Northeast weather... it's been snowing and wet and freezing and everybody had been warning me about it.
"I feel like the consistent minutes for the first time in a while in my career has given me a lot of confidence. I think it's helped me in a lot of ways.
"I've learned a lot from playing in the championship. I think it's a really gritty league, which helps us in a lot of these games.
"I was chatting with Emma Byrne about it a few camps ago, just the ability to pick up second balls defensively, physicality wise. I think those are areas that I could improve on."
Before joining Sunderland, Sheva played in the NWSL after completing her college career, where she was a two-sport athlete, also running track, or doing athletics in our vernacular.
This is a very different path to many of her Irish team-mates, who enter academies and focus solely on football from a young age.
The Pennsylvania native detailed that there were times she preferred running to kicking a ball and that the difference in each sport may have at times compromised both.
"Going into college, I was enjoying running a lot more than I was enjoying soccer, and I kind of gave it one last ditch effort to see if I could enjoy playing soccer at a higher level.
"I found that difficult as well [going between both].
"I actually found it easier transitioning back into soccer, like getting back into shape in the summer for soccer than I did going from soccer shape into running shape. I found that transition really difficult which I think impeded me there as well."
To put it into perspective, Sheva was a decent athlete, running 4:25.06 for the 1500m and even trying her hand at relays and steeplechase as part of her collegiate career, but ultimately it was the arguably brighter lights of soccer that won her over.
Despite what the midfielder described as a "little bit of a lack in development" in her former years she admitted she wouldn't change her journey.
"I don't think I would change it because I think I saw a lot of girls burn out.
"Who knows what would have happened if I only played year round, you know, it also could have been a positive thing, but I probably wouldn't change it."
Next up is the behind-closed-doors friendly against Hungary on Saturday but Sheva explained the effort will be the same.
"It's the same competitiveness, but I think it is different going into an empty stadium and playing these games, but it's important.
"And we know what we have to do this week. So I don't think that there will be any lack of effort or intention."
